What's New at NAB New York 2017

In New York, the autumnal equinox heralds colder weather, shorter days and, of course, the NAB show. This year, the NAB New York show coincided with the AES convention, with both sharing the massive Javits Center space on 11th Avenue. For the uninitiated, the NAB show floor exhibition is lined with booths where manufacturers, retailers, and other companies hawk their wares so that industry pros and the press can see what’s new in pro video. Since the Javits Center is only a few blocks away from our offices here at B&H, the pro-video writers, myself included, took a stroll over there to observe the latest and greatest from the many brands that are available at B&H.

Blackmagic Design At its booth, Blackmagic showed off the highly acclaimed URSA Mini Pro cinema camera and new features for the DaVinci Resolve 14 software. We also saw what looked like an audio mixing desk of some kind. One of the booth representatives explained that the product was related to Blackmagic’s Fairlight acquisition, but declined to provide any specifics, since they were not yet finalized.

Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Studio

Canon A couple of months back, Canon announced its new XF400 and XF405 4K camcorders. At the show, these were on display alongside the newest Cinema EOS camera, the C200. Other members of Canon’s EOS Cinema and professional camcorder lines were also present.

Canon XF400 Camcorder

Core SWX Modernizing an entire line of battery and chargers is not an easy thing to do, yet Core SWX has managed to pull it off. The HC9, Nano, and Slim 98 in Gold and V-mount made appearances alongside the new Fleet chargers, which can also discharge lithium-ion batteries to the correct capacity for shipping.

ikan New logos abound! ikan debuted its new brand logo, a decidedly more modern design, although what’s more important is underneath the large banner displayed in the exhibition hall. Monitors, gimbals, wireless systems, camera support, lights, and more for projects of all sizes and budgets were available to check out, on display.

Panasonic Panasonic has been busy teasing its latest cinema camera over the last year or so. The EVA1, with its EF mount and innovative Dual Native ISO feature brought down from the Varicam line has made press headlines on multiple occasions as the result of a successful marketing campaign by Panasonic. Let’s also not forget about the GH5, with which filmmakers of all levels have been enamored. It’s hard to beat 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 video recording to SD cards inside an ergonomic mirrorless camera body.

Panasonic AU-EVA1 Compact 5.7K Super 35mm Cinema Camera

Sony The announcement of Sony’s Venice was quite something. A Hollywood-grade camera with a full-frame sensor capable of full 16-bit linear raw recording? That’s impressive. What’s more, it can accept E-mount lenses when the PL mount is removed. While the Venice might not be readily available to the average consumer, Sony’s commitment to innovating in the cinema camera space is refreshing, pushing the industry to new heights. On the smaller sensor side, Sony recently introduced three cameras with 1" sensors, each with phase-detection autofocus and a comfortable familiar camcorder shape. Making an understated appearance at the Sony booth was the Chrosziel MK-Zoom motor. It attaches directly to a Fujinon MK zoom lens and connects with the Sony handgrip’s rocker to actuate the zoom—genius!

Vitec Group I remember when Litepanels’ most well-known offering was its 1x1 LED panel. Now, with the Gemini, the company has traveled to new dimensions. Not only can the light output change color temperature while maintaining a high color fidelity, it can also mimic colored gels. Presets for Rosco and Lee model numbers are stored for immediate recall, great for the creative DP. Also on display were the Flowtech tripod legs from Sachtler and Vinten. A hands-on review of these sticks is forthcoming, but the Flowtech represents a major innovation in tripod construction.

Litepanels Gemini 2x1 Bi-Color LED Soft Panel

Last, and certainly not least, B&H also has a booth at NAB New York with a cool cable cam zipping around. If you’re in the area, feel free to come on by and check out all the crazy gear we are showing off. Stay for a game of foosball or chat with some of the reps hanging out there about the new and exciting products we have available. Even if you miss it this time, B&H makes a point to have a presence at major trade shows, so stop by when there’s a show in your area!